Michael Scheibner is CEO and Chairman of the Board at GK Software, a Fujitsu company and global leader in retail technology.

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Convenience stores are the “small but mighty” format of retail. More consumers visit a convenience store each day than any other type of brick-and-mortar retailer, according to NACS.

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Polls open in Clacton, as research shows Farage has spent more than £10,000 in byelection fight against Count Binface

Good morning. In the media, August is known as the “silly season”. With parliament not sitting and many people on holiday, there is less proper news than normal, which means the nonsense stories get (even) more attention than usual. We are almost slap bang in the middle of the month, and today we’ve got a silly season classic in Clacton, where Nigel Farage, the Reform UK candidate, is fighting a byelection in which his main opponent is a joke candidate who dresses up as a dustbin.

Luxury department store Harvey Nichols has been bought by the owner of Sports Direct, which warned a "significant restructuring" was needed to ensure the 200-year-old business remains sustainable.

Mike Ashley's Frasers Group will take control of the Harvey Nichols stores, including its flagship in Knightsbridge, as well as the international franchise.

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Published Aug 13, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

Good story *and* good combat? It's more likely than you think

After 10 hours, Nintendo’s new Fire Emblem is somehow even better than Three Houses

Image: Intelligent Systems/Nintendo via Polygon

Fire Emblem Awakening saved Nintendo's strategy game series 14 years ago, but it also laid a curse on it. Since then, no Fire Emblem has managed to pull off a good story and good combat. Awakening had bland maps and a good story. One branch of 2015's Fates had excellent maps, but they all had terrible stories (and one lets you marry your sister, but let's not talk about that). The pattern repeated with 2019's Three Houses and 2023's Engage. But after playing 10 hours of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, it looks like Intelligent Systems might've figured out how to break the curse and make a Fire Emblem with all the good parts and none of the old problems.

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: Aug 13, 2026 1:00pm UTC

One of the best horror films of all time, and an Academy Award winner for "Best Makeup" in 1981, An American Werewolf in London turns 45 this year.

The Japanese government has reacted angrily to Vladimir Putin’s first visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, which are claimed by both Tokyo and Moscow.

Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, summoned the Russian ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev, while the prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, called Putin’s actions “absolutely unacceptable”.

A woman and a child walk past Iranian-made Zolfaghar missiles displayed at Azadi Square in Tehran on July 24, 2026.

Afp | Getty Images

Iran is set to join the BRICS New Development Bank, the country's central bank chief said Thursday, as Tehran seeks to shore up its economic alliances almost six months into its war with the U.S. and Israel.

The Icelandic and Canadian consulates building, left, in the historic old district of Nuuk, Greenland, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

A Texas-based company with links to President Donald Trump has delayed plans to drill for oil in Greenland, after the Arctic island's government issued a "strong warning" to its joint venture partner for bringing equipment ashore without permission.

England fans react during the England V Croatia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup match at Croydon Boxpark on June 17, 2026 in London, England.

Alishia Abodunde | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Keely Hodgkinson's bid for European gold continued as she stormed into the final of the women's 800m - moments after rival Audrey Werro suffered a dramatic fall that put her place in Friday's showpiece in doubt.